Review: A Taste of Home
A Taste of Home
by Richard Ho, illustrated by Sibu T.P.
Roaring Brook Press, 2024
Category: Picture Books
Reviewer: Claire Freeland
Buy at Bookshop.org
In this ode to the variety of cultures you can find in a vibrant city, a young boy’s mother asks him to “bring back a taste of home.” The city, though not named, is New York City (there is a street map). The boy, though never stated, is Jewish (he is wearing a kippah). The boy’s mother wants food from her unnamed homeland (Israel), referred to as a land of milk and honey. So, you ask, why the veiled references? Maybe it’s because the author, Richard Ho, wants the reader to place this child of an Israeli immigrant in the context of the many other children of immigrants who can find the foods of their parents’ countries of origin in this colorful city, rich with diversity. He introduces the notion that home, for the children of immigrants, are the sights, sounds, and tastes of their everyday lives, while home, for their parents and grandparents, are also the memories of the lands they left behind. Homes may change, but people, living in proximity and sharing with one another, make community.
In this high concept picture book, Ho’s lyrical language is accompanied by Sibu T.P.’s rich and colorful palate. He creates images that are at once realistic, yet universal. Both author and illustrator embrace the value of children exploring their own particular heritage and also that of other cultures, often, but not solely, represented in cuisine.
There is Jewish representation, a synagogue and a kosher grocery are mentioned, and the opening character wears a kippah. There is also a bodega, pictures of Chinatown, a mosque, references to India, and so forth. This slice-of-life picture book will appeal to all who value multiculturalism, the immigrant experience, and the melting pot of a city that so many call home.
In this ode to the variety of cultures you can find in a vibrant city, a young boy’s mother asks him to “bring back a taste of home.” The city, though not named, is New York City (there is a street map). The boy, though never stated, is Jewish (he is wearing a kippah). The boy’s mother wants food from her unnamed homeland (Israel), referred to as a land of milk and honey. So, you ask, why the veiled references? Maybe it’s because the author, Richard Ho, wants the reader to place this child of an Israeli immigrant in the context of the many other children of immigrants who can find the foods of their parents’ countries of origin in this colorful city, rich with diversity. He introduces the notion that home, for the children of immigrants, are the sights, sounds, and tastes of their everyday lives, while home, for their parents and grandparents, are also the memories of the lands they left behind. Homes may change, but people, living in proximity and sharing with one another, make community.
In this high concept picture book, Ho’s lyrical language is accompanied by Sibu T.P.’s rich and colorful palate. He creates images that are at once realistic, yet universal. Both author and illustrator embrace the value of children exploring their own particular heritage and also that of other cultures, often, but not solely, represented in cuisine.
There is Jewish representation, a synagogue and a kosher grocery are mentioned, and the opening character wears a kippah. There is also a bodega, pictures of Chinatown, a mosque, references to India, and so forth. This slice-of-life picture book will appeal to all who value multiculturalism, the immigrant experience, and the melting pot of a city that so many call home.
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